In the wake of recent controversies dealing with free speech, I decided it was fitting to at last watch this documentary that has been heavily appealing to me for quite some time. As a fervent supporter of free speech, the messages contained within this film play a heavily important role in our modern day society. There is still hope for comedians despite the ridiculous cries of outrage that seem to pointlessly be sweeping the county day by day. Hypersensitivity does no one any good, and this film knows that and begs for our society to rethink the path they are going down. A disturbing amount of people refuse to oppose hate speech laws, and universities thrive on tearing down the values that made them respectable to the liberal minded in the first place. Liberals were once the great free speech figures, but the road they have followed has led them to the polar opposite of such a reputation. This documentary does have its technical flaws, but it is still entertaining as hell, its messages are brilliant and well spoken, its hilarious at times thanks to the cast of comedians, and its also a shed of light for the future of free speech.

While they did a good job of pointing out that American colleges are trying to turn the students into hardline communists who use violence against anyone they don't agree with and that being offensive can make you lose your job, they didn't spend any time talking about how the only way a comedian can be on tv now is if they are anti-white and/or anti-straight. They also ignored that all the online streaming services only have black and gay comedy specials. The streaming site I watched this on has hundreds of stand up specials and all the comics that are white are gay. It's pretty funny to hear Lisa Lampanelli say that they(offensive comics) are never going away and less than 3 years later she retired from stand up because she couldn't get any work. Stand up comedy is dead and America is next.

The new documentary "Can We Take a Joke?" will almost certainly offend you as you watch it. There are a lot of obscenities and tons of politically incorrect comments and jokes in poor taste…and some of them are bound to hit your hot buttons. For instance, a few of the comedians they interview I happen to strongly dislike. So why would anyone want to see a film that makes you them mad….and why would I recommend you give the film a try?

The film mostly concerns the recent trend towards political correctness and the rise in individual outrage and how it relates to comedians…folks who are almost certain to incite folks because they often deliberately seek to offend. Much of the film looks back to Lenny Bruce and his many run-ins with the police involving free speech. It then draws a parallel to today…though this free speech is not being suppressed by the government but by ourselves and our universities. When the film is making this argument, lots of very offensive comedians are featured…including the likes of Lisa Lampanelli and Gilbert Gottfried. Again, as I mentioned above, these folks say offensive stuff and you will be challenged to keep watching it…it's inevitable.

So am I suggesting you watch the film because I want you to be offended or insulted? Certainly not---I want to live in a world where people are civil and treat each other decently. But the documentary brings up a lot of good points despite offending the viewer and think it's important we listen and think about their message. Here are just a few of the topics brought up in the film: --Where do we draw the line with what is acceptable and what isn't? This is especially problematic because everyone has different 'hot buttons'….so what offends you may not offend your neighbor.

--The First Amendment is not necessarily the same as free speech. How you can have a First Amendment and STILL not be free to speak your mind?

--We seem to be in a 'gotcha' culture where anyone can say the wrong thing and become part of the 'villain of the week' on social media. This means folks on the left, right and center could accidentally walk into a firestorm of anger and protest.

--Where is this all going to lead? Will the United States become like Europe or Canada where you can get arrested if you say something that is construed as offensive? And, what will the world be like if this is the case?

"Can We Take a Joke?" is a challenging film and makes you think about yourself as well as your own personal comfort zone—and this is something rare in a documentary. A good documentary challenges you or your beliefs…and this one sure will. Do I always agree with it? No…especially when some of the comedians they interview say that nothing should be taboo when it comes to free speech. That makes me very uncomfortable, as I sure would hate to hear folks making fun of rape or cancer. But despite offending me, it did get my attention and I appreciate that.

Ironically, this film has no closed captions. I am hard of hearing and my daughter is deaf….and I guess this omission is actually a bit offensive now that I think about it.